Anybody used a potato barrel?

vincent81_2

I used a potato barrel this year as we've now moved into a flat and alas, no garden! We have got a patio though so container gardening is the go this year. We had a pretty good crop from our barrel, if you're in a position where you can't plant in the ground or have already filled up all your available ground space (like my Mum) I recommend it! We got ours from http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=potato+barrel&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&quick_search=1

We got the "victorian one" although it seems they've added a few more since then so I can't vouch for them.

skippylala

I grew potatoes in sacks this year and the yield was very poor, just
enough for two meals out of three sacks! so proved to be very
expensive! :mad: But I have been lucky to get my hands on an allotment
this year so now in the process of clearing it of the 15 foot high
brambles and all the other rubbish thats on it, i think its the elephant
grave yard for old carpet!!!!! :eek: So will be growing potatoes there

next year and hoping for a better yeild:T

tightwadman

You dont need to buy a potato barrel at all. I bought some black plastic buckets from Morrisons - 8 for £1 - they are the same buckets the cut flowers are sold in. In these I put two potatatoes that had gone to seed from packs bought in supermarkets and all had good yields although the potatoes were not large ie no good as bakers. You must put holes in the base, only half fill with compost at first and then as shoots grow "bank up" the compost until reaches the top. Dont overwater - let the rain do the job unless you hit a long dry spell ( very unlikely in the UK)

I also planted pots in my garden but our soil is not great as its clay a few inches down. The plants were enormous and produced flowers and green fruit so I expected a bumper crop. Sadly the yield per plant was hardly any better than from a bucket except I did get some big bakers.But the plants grew so huge so all the other veg in the plot was crowded out and died off.

Next year its buckets only and if you get organized you can have a potato harvest every month and then simply start all over again. I will start off my next batch next March. Its easy, cheap as chips and lets face it we all eat potatoes! Absolutely no need to buy seed potatoes either! Dont worry if you dont have a garden - you can grow pots like this in a yard, a patio or even a roof! Good luck!

pursekeeper

reading this thread got me thinking i p'raps should have a go at this grow yer own lark.
so not meaning to sound thick, (cause i've never done it before) if i get a old sprouting potato which way up do i plant it?

sheenaf

Not daft question at all! You plant with the sprouts pointing UP because they will form the foliage eventually.

Probably wrong time of year for this to work unless you have a warm conservatory or greenhouse etc. A sack of tatties is probably a bit big for the average windowsill.

Have to second lots of the comments above. No need for an expensive barrell or bought compost, nor for bought seed potatoes, chitted potatoes from the veg basket seem to do just as well as expensive bought seed. I have been planting potatoes in coal sacks & big plastic containers for a few years now as my veg plot is infested with wire worm which attacks potaoes planted there. I use a mixture of leaf mould from the woods and 'not quite ready' compost from my compost bins to fill tubs/bags. Also bung in some seaweed if we have been to the coast (gives a ready salted flavour to potatoes:rotfl: ). When it is time to harvest, I empty the containers onto the vegetable patch, pick up the potatoes and then dig in the, now well rotted, compost.

poshscotslass

Bunny200, a wheelie bin is much too deep, Compost bags turned inside out and rolled down to half the size, polystyrene bits in the bottom and about eight holes 6 cms from bottom seam. Put compost in about 6inches deep place chitted pots then cover. As plant grows add more compost until bag is 2/3rds full. Chitting potatoes, leave potatoes in egg boxes from Middle January until they have sprouted by about an inch and then cut off sprouted bit with a bit extra and plant 3 in a bag.

openairman

I was sick of finding holes in the potato's grown in the garden so I mixed some growbag material with ordinary peat free compost and mixed them in a number of 1.5 gallon buckets. One seed potato in each and I got such a good crop that I have bought a few bigger buckets ready for next year.

stacey777

pursekeeper wrote: »

reading this thread got me thinking i p'raps should have a go at this grow yer own lark.
so not meaning to sound thick, (cause i've never done it before) if i get a old sprouting potato which way up do i plant it?

:rotfl:


I wouldnt have a clue either but wouldnt have had the sense to put that so simply.

My husband on the other hand has grown our own spuds this year in a bag of compost. He said you put the potatoes near the top and every time you see a few roots sticking up but a handful of compost on top and this cause's them to grow harder.( dont think thats tec term but it will do) the spuds grow up and down and you keep on doing this and they will continue to grow sounds easy to me but i havent done it he has.

epsomcommon

Hello everyone, newbie - I can't work out how to sort out a "quote", so to everyone (but especially Sheenaf), this is all such a good idea - I've been growing pots in compost sacks which is turning out so well, it's good fun.

.k. the crops haven't been huge, but then neither are the compost sacks!
Next year (when Wilkinsons get their gardening stock in) I'm going to try some black plastic tubs - the sort I'm already growing rhurbarb in.

But I've never bought seed potatoes - when preparing supermarket potatoes for dinner, I cut off the 'sprouts' with just a small amount of potato - and eat the rest!!

Everlasting spinach isn't bad in ordinary garden pots, and looks good in amongst the annual flowers too.

Good luck everyone.

idef

didnt use the barrel but bought potatoe sacks from wilkinsons that came with a pack of early main and late crop in the kit V/good results.